A Holiday of Hippeastrum

As the third bloom stalk is now in full flower, I thought I had better share a photo or two from Hippeastrum "Miracle". Purchased last autumn and grown in a pot on the patio, it has been
exceptionally floriferous.

After all, it has been in bloom off and on since just after Christmas! Three bloom stalks full of rich red petals and gold stamens. Weeks worth of bloom.

Cool, dry, outdoor conditions keep the Hippeastrums from getting as leggy here as they always did when I grew them indoors. But this last stalk is quite short even so. Still with a
full head of four flowers, though!

In containers they grow and bloom well in the shade of the patio. The cooler outdoor temperatures inevitably slow them down a bit during winter bloom, but they seem so much happier and
healthier this way that I haven't had the heart to bring them back indoors.

The two bulbs from each of the last two Christmases have been planted out into the garden after their initial bloom, but neither of these is near flowering yet. They seem to move onto a
spring blooming cycle once they go into the ground, and they can bloom (and rebloom) surprisingly late. With their enormous flowers, vibrant colors, and spring bloom season, they play
somewhat the role of border tulips here, but perhaps with even more panache. The color range is more limited, as it does not include yellow or purples; but the flowers are spectacular.

Meantime, we are also enjoying "Exotic Star", my sister's selection this year. Just lovely!

A lovely deep red colour Amy. And three stalks? I don't think I have ever had more than two. I have a lot in bud on my window sill and am hoping they won't all open at the same time, although that
would be quite a show! :)

Cathy - Oddly enough, I think this is the first deep red Amaryllis I've ever grown - highly satisfactory though! This one has spaced its blooming over a long period, but my sister's "Exotic Star"
does have two stems with open flowers at once ;-) and a third stalk, so clearly it can happen either way! I've been very pleased with our supplier as the bulbs are far more vigorous than any others
I've grown, but I would think you would have access to as good or better there in Germany. Will look forward to seeing yours as they open - can't get enough of them... :)

Thanks so much, Brian! I moved the blog back in October; and though it has taken awhile, I agree: no regrets! One of my main reasons for moving was the commenting foul-ups between Blogger and
WordPress, which I knew from sad experience went both ways. So after a good deal of thought, I opted not to host on either Blogger or WordPress, but on the website builder Jimdo. This way I have a
lot more design options (I don't code, I'm afraid!). I do use Gravatar for commenting on WP sites (that was by your advice, as I recall ;-) - it works quite well that way! It seems to be a good time
for moving blogs - I'm enjoying your new Brimfields too, though I got over to it a bit late! Looking forward to more!

A small garden in the English style, set in the wilds of the northern Sonoran Desert